Seven Tips to Avoid Health Problems in Thailand

Thailand would be considered a fairly safe country for tourists; I have been here eight years without any major scares. Health problems do occur but in many instances these could have been avoided. The tropical heat, cheap alcohol, and holiday mood can be a terrible combination, but there are things you can do to keep safe. Here are seven tips to avoid health problems in Thailand.

1- Do not hire a motorcycle if you are not a competent rider; and even if you are you will still need to be extra careful. Thailand has incredibly high rates for road accidents and over 90% of fatalities involve motorcycles. Every year many foreign tourists have accidents; they lose limbs and regularly lose their life. You really should avoid hiring a motorbike on Koh Pha Ngan, Koh Chang, Koh Samet, and any of the other places in Thailand where the roads aren't that good. This is probably the number one thing you can do to avoid health problems in Thailand.

2- Never drink and drive. This is against the law in Thailand and it is also asking for trouble. Most road accidents in Thailand involve alcohol.

3- Don't allow the holiday mode make you feel invincible. People come to Thailand and they somehow think the normal rules of life don't apply. They take foolish risks that they would never consider taking at home. The fact that people are on holiday does not make them exempt from the laws of nature.

4- Come with good health insurance. There are some great world class hospitals in Thailand; especially in Bangkok. Just make sure that you have good insurance to pay for the best treatment if the worst happens.

5- Use mosquito repellent and do all you can to avoid being bitten by these pests. There are not many cases of Malaria in Thailand but you will still hear of people getting dengue fever from bites. This condition can be really unpleasant and may even be fatal.

6- Be careful of the sun. This is not the same type of sunshine that you find in Britas Bay or Blackpool. You will burn and quickly if you don't take care. You need to be extra careful when travelling to the islands on water. Some people have needed to spend the whole holiday indoors in pain because they overdid it in the sun on the first day.

7- If you are going to have sex with anybody make sure you wear a condom. This does not only go for those people dabbling in the sex industry, but even those shacking up with other tourists. The heat is no protection from HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases.

Above are just seven ways to avoid health problems in Thailand; there are many more. Most of the precautions you need to take are common sense, and shouldn't interfere with the enjoyment of your holiday too much - unless your only enjoyment is speeding around Pattaya on a motorbike while drunk.